The Least Popular Full-Size Pickup Truck Could Be the Only Smart Buy in 2023
For a company that has made many great cars and trucks over its decades-long history, it has the least popular full-size pickup truck of 2023 so far. The 2023 Nissan Titan isn’t selling well. The fact is that in Q1 of 2022, the Nissan Titan was at the bottom of the list of full-size pickup truck sales. Q1 2023 sales have only gotten worse for the big Nissan truck. What’s going on with the Nissan Titan? Before you get too sad for Nissan, this could be a good thing for truck buyers. Given the low sales, the 2023 Nissan Titan could be the only smart buy this year.
Is there a good full-size pickup truck to buy in 2023?
There are piles of great full-size pickup trucks on the market today. Honestly, there are probably more good options for trucks today than ever before. The problem is, everyone wants a truck, it seems. This, along with the bizarre few years we’ve had, created a sellers market the likes of which we’ve never seen.
New and used pickup trucks are skyrocketing in value, and many are left either not being able to afford a truck or can’t find one to buy due to limited inventory. Granted, the inventory shortage is beginning to ease a little, but prices still haven’t dropped in a significant way. So, what are we supposed to do? Maybe the answer isn’t to figure out how to buy a Ford F-150 Lightning by employing some kind of trick or clever loophole. Maybe the best way forward is to plow new ground. Maybe, the unpopularity of the 2023 Nissan Titan is a blessing for weary truck buyers. Let’s take a look at the least popular full-size pickup truck.
What is the worst-selling full-size pickup truck in 2023?
You’ve heard the cliche saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” This saying has proven true enough times for it to remain a well-used cliche to this day. However, I’m not so sure the 2023 Nissan Titan is trash.
According to GM Authority, the Nissan Titan is even less popular this year than it was last year, and that is saying something. Q1 of 2022 saw only 6,415 Titans leave dealer lots. Only 4,038 Titans moved in Q1 of 2023. All of the evidence shows that the Titan could well be on its way out in a few years. Instead of feeling reassured of what your truck loyalty is, it might be time to switch that loyalty in order to get a good deal on a good truck.
Is the 2023 Nissan Titan a good truck?
You might not be ready to read this, but I think we have all been sleeping on the Nissan Titan. Well, not the 4,000 some-odd intrepid buyers who already went for the 2023 model. According to RepairPal, the Nissan Titan ranked second in reliability against 17 trucks in the full-size field. Because of this, it also has one of the lowest cost of ownership on the market. That said, the 2022 models with the 9-speed auto did have a recall for a faulty transmission bit. However, this problem seems to have been resolved for the 2023 model.
One of the coolest things about the 2023 Nissan Titan is that it comes standard with a 5.6-liter V8. That means the cheapest, plainest, and most boring Titan you can get in 2023 has 400 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. No one will argue that this is the fanciest V8 around, but hell, neither was Toyota’s 5.7-liter V8, and it used that same unchanged engine for two decades. To that end, the Nissan VK56VD engine is commonly expected to hit 250,000 miles without serious issues. Hell, you can’t beat that with a stick.
Overall, the 2023 Nissan Titan has a lot going for it. It has plenty of power, is more reliable than most, looks good, and you can actually find one. However, the Titan isn’t the least-popular pickup truck for no reason. Let’s see what people don’t like about them.
Why is the Nissan Titan so unpopular?
First and foremost, the Nissan Titan isn’t all that cheap. Considering the Titan is a pretty old-school new truck, meaning it isn’t the most technological, its starting MSRP of $40,350 can feel a touch steep.
Secondly, it really isn’t much for off-roading. The Nissan Titan doesn’t offer an off-road specific trim, nor does it offer many proper off-road features – unless you opt for a Titan XD which does include the Pro-4X model with features like Bilstein shocks, all-terrain tires, and a skid plate. This isn’t a deal breaker for most truck buyers, or at least it shouldn’t be. Most people who own full-size 4×4 trucks rarely take them off-road, if ever at all. There have been a number of studies trying to figure out just how many people actually take their 4x4s in the dirt, and the numbers vary from study to study, but one thing is clear; most people don’t off-road.
GM Authority reports only 19% of 4×4 GMC owners have ever taken their trucks out there. Other studies show that over 70% of truck owners will take their trucks off-road once a year or less. The point is people don’t use their “off-road” packages, so Nissan only offering one on the Titan XD shouldn’t matter. It clearly does; it just shouldn’t.
Should you buy a Nissan Titan?
As much as I’d like to shotgun blast overly-general information to a bunch of people I don’t know, I can’t recommend what truck you should buy, dear reader, because I don’t know what kind of truck you need or want. However, I can say that it seems to me that if you need a full-size pickup truck with tons of room, a decent interior, and gobs of power and are tired of competing for an F-150 or Tundra, you might want to consider the 2023 Nissan Titan. Arming yourself with the knowledge that dealers are struggling to sell Titans also might give you the upper hand on negotiating.
